On December 30, the day following Grierson's return
from Medicine Bluff, General Sheridan listened to reports of the officers
who had accompanied the expedition. He decided, as a result of the
recommendations made by Grierson and Hazen, to abandon Fort Cobb and
move to the new site as soon as the incessant rains should subside.

During the day Indians in the surrounding camps received
information from fugitives coming in from the southwest that a village
of Comanches had been attacked by white men near the western end of
the Wichita Mountains. They said that the whites were soldiers or
Texans, they did not know which, and that they were driving a herd
of cattle with them. Reports of this matter were made to General Sheridan.
At first he was inclined to consider it a baseless rumor, but the
white scouts insisted that the Indians were telling a straight story.
At noon a staff officer, Lieutenant Edward Hunter, from Colonel Evans'
Fort Bascom column, arrived at Fort Cobb. He reported that Evans had
destroyed an Indian village on Christmas day, and was now camped near
the mouth of Rainy Mountain Creek.

Major A. W. Evans (brevet lieutenant colonel) left Fort
Bascom, New Mexico, November 17, 1868, with six companies of the Third
Cavalry, one company of the Thirty-Seventh Infantry, and a battery
of mountain howitzers. He marched down the Canadian River for a distance
of 185 miles to the mouth of Monument Creek. Here a small redoubt
was constructed, in which Evans left his impedimenta, guarded by a
small detachment. He left all his tentage behind, and took only three
wagons to carry ammunition.

The march was continued through snow, sleet, and intense
cold toward Antelope Hills. Near these hills Evans struck the broad
trail made by the Cheyennes fleeing south after the Battle of the
Washita. He crossed the Canadian River and followed this trail south
until on December 23 he came in sight of Headquarters Mountains. The
North Fork of Red River runs southeast toward another group of rough,
granite mountains. Evans' Mexican guides told him that these were
the Sierra Jumanes (Wichitas). Evans could see that the trail of the
Indians had turned southeast into the canyon formed by the North Fork.
The water in the stream was impregnated with gypsum and salt; the
grass in the surrounding plains had been burned off by the Indians.
For these reasons Evans decided to pass south of the mountains in
order to find forage for his animals; he hoped to pick up the Indian
trail on the other side of the canyon.

Early on December 24 the column crossed the North Fork
and marched south and southeast over an extensive prairie which sloped
gradually to the south. During the day occasional Indians were seen
hovering in the distance. Before long it was evident that the Indians
had not emerged from the southeast end of the gorge. No trail was
crossed. Evans halted for the night, making a dry camp on the bleak
plains. The troops spent a Christmas Eve devoid of cheer.

On Christmas morning Evans turned the head of his command
northeast, hoping to strike the trail of the hostiles at the eastern
exit of the gap. A biting wind drove thin snow in the faces of the
men. The ground was white in patches. The soldiers grew colder as
the hours passed. The horses were dying from exhaustion and lack of
forage. Not an Indian had been seen. Evans decided to go into camp
on the bank of the river under the shelter of the rough granite peaks,
so as to permit the men to enjoy the remainder of the holiday as best
they might.

The column approached the stream from the south, opposite
the mouth of Devil's Canyon, where the dragoons had visited the Wichitas
in 1834. Mexican scouts, who had been out on the right flank, came
in to report that they had seen and conversed with two Indians. Colonel
Evans determined to neglect these individual Indians no longer. They
seemed to be watching his command. At the head of the column was Captain
(Brevet Major) Tarlton's company of the Third Cavalry, thirty-four
men. Colonel Evans ordered Tarlton to pursue the two Indians. The
remainder of the command moved upstream and prepared to go into camp,
while Tarlton crossed to the north bank and rode southeast between
the hills and the river.

Nestled in a grove of trees situated about a mile and
a half east of the site of the old Wichita Village was a camp of sixty
lodges of the Noconee Comanches. This was the same band from which
had come many of the raiders who had participated in the murders near
Gainesville and Spanish Fort during the summer and fall. The principal
civil chief of this band was Horseback, a signer of the Medicine Lodge
treaty. Horseback was friendly to the whites, and disapproved of the
raiding done by his people. At this time he probably was at Fort Cobb
with his immediate family group. A war chief named Arrow Point was
in charge; chiefs Howea and Habby-wake likely were in the village
also.

The Indians had been watching Evans' column wandering
around, and had hoped that he would not discover their hiding place.
When it was seen that some soldiers were coming toward the village
Arrow Point hastily mounted his men and rode out to turn them back.
They met about one mile west of the village. The Comanches charged
Tarlton vigorously, using lances, rifles, and pistols. At first Tarlton
had more than he could handle. He sent for help. Soon Captain Monahan
arrived with his company, then Captain Hawley. Thereupon Tarlton took
the offensive and pushed the Indians back slowly.

When the Comanches had fallen back to the open ground
lying west of their village they increased their resistance, which
forced the soldiers to halt. During this skirmish Chief Arrow Point
suffered a gunshot wound in the mouth, the injury later causing his
death. When he fell his comrades carried him away, but his war equipment
fell into the hands of Tarlton's men. One of these captured weapons
was a lance of ancient Spanish manufacture.

Adjutant Edward Hunter now arrived with two sections
of the mountain battery. The small howitzers were placed in position
and threw two spherical case shot into the Indian camp. The first
round was a dud; the second exploded.

The Indians in the village were industriously engaged
in trying to pack their property. The projectile burst in their midst,
stirring them up like a nest of ants. The noise of the battle had
stampeded the Indian horse herd east across the shallow river, but
when the artillery shell burst in the camp the Indians departed in
great haste, riding the few animals which had been left in the camp.
Three or four were mounted one each horse. Those of the Comanches
who could not obtain mounts commenced climbing the rocky mountain
which rose abruptly at the northern edge of the village.

Tarlton charged into the village. He dismounted his
men in the grove of trees; then, after leaving a few horseholders
and sentries to guard the captured property, he pushed forward with
the rest of the command to the high ground lying northeast of the
camp. A broken line of large granite rocks juts out from the ridge
at this point, forming a half-moon from the river bank on the right
to the precipitous mountainside on the left. Tarlton's men lay down
behind these rocks and commenced sniping at the Indian warriors, who
were riding in half-circles across the front of the firing line in
the manner of a typical western cinema. No one was hurt. The poor
marksmanship of the Indians was matched by that of the soldiers.

Tarlton lay happy in his snug position until he noticed
that Indians were crossing the river in his rear and threatening to
cut him off. These were mostly Kiowas from Woman's Heart's village
at Sheep Mountain, who had been attracted to the scene by the sound
of the cannon. Large numbers of them were riding in from the east,
fording the river, and taking position on Tarlton's front and right
rear. His squadron was in danger of being surrounded, but was saved
by the timely arrival of Colonel Evans with the rest of the command.
Evans threw two cavalry companies to the river bank to protect Tarlton's
right and rear, and pushed Captain Gageby's company of infantry to
the left to prevent the Indians from getting between Tarlton and the
mountain.

The Indians had divided, part of them riding northwest
along the tributary which rises at Soldier Spring, the others cantering
southwest along the river bank. Several heavy volleys were fired at
both groups of savages, and they commenced to fall back out of range.
Those along the river bank took shelter among the sand dunes on the
south bank; while the others hid among the trees south of Soldier
Spring, or behind a large rock situated six hundred yards southeast
of Soldier Spring.

Evans saw that it was useless to try to close with them.
Their mounts were too fresh. He therefore ordered Tarlton to retreat
to the village. The withdrawal was accomplished quickly, and without
incident until all but one soldier had retreated to the grove. This
man evidently had not heard the order to retire and, engrossed in
watching the Indians, did not notice that he was alone. Suddenly,
realizing that his companions had retreated, he too jumped up from
behind his rock and started to run back. Mama-day-te, a Kiowa, galloped
to cut off the lone trooper. He fired his pistol at the man in the
blue overcoat, without apparent effect, then circled back to the shelter
of Soldier Spring Creek. Next K'op-ah-hodel-te (Kills Enemy Near Mountain)
made a charge. He overtook the soldier, and wounded him severely with
a lance thrust. But the fire from the soldiers had begun again, so
that the Kiowa was unable to make coup by touching his fallen enemy
with his hand.

The infantry company had remained in position at the
extreme left. Gageby sent word to Colonel Evans that he was pinned
to the ground by fire coming from the Indians who had scaled the mountainside.
He could not retire without exposing his men to severe loss. Accordingly
Evans deployed three companies of cavalry forward under Tarlton to
flank out these Indians. As Tarlton's men approached the sharp rock
which juts out of the ridge immediately south of Soldier Sprig Creek,
a large number of savages flushed from in rear of the rock and fled
west toward the woods bordering the mountain. Several volleys were
fired at them at close range. Evans reports that a number of the Indians
were seen to fall; but no bodies were found. The Indians claim that
the only one of their men who fell at this point was Mama-day-te,
whose horse bucked him off during the excitement; they say he was
not hurt. To this day one may pick flattened lead balls from the rocks
around Soldier Spring, fired by the soldiers at the retreating Indians.

By sunset all of the soldiers were back in the grove
in which the Indians camp was located. The Indians, watching from
rocks and sand dunes saw them lighting fires to cook their supper.
Marveling at the nonchalance of the soldiers under fire, the Indians
were afraid to renew the attack. They thought that the indifference
of the troops implied overwhelming strength of numbers concealed in
the grove.

Evans had his men establish a fortified camp, after
which he put them to work destroying the Indian property. This task
was not completed until nearly midnight. It was a rich village; the
tepees were of the best Indian workmanship, nearly new. Evans burned
everything, including a hundred bushels of corn, much flour, coffee,
sugar, soap, cooking utensils, mats, parfleche (leather pouches),
bullet molds, weapons, and robes. He did not spare even the buckskin
dolls, doll dresses, and other playthings left by the Indian children.

One of the principal items destroyed by the soldiers
was several tons of dried buffalo meat, the entire winter food supply
of the Noconee Comanches. At the head of the Indian village, where
the mountain rises from the plain, is a small pond covered with lily
pads, and fed by small bubbling springs. The Comanches drew their
drinking water from this spring. Into this Evans threw all of the
dried meat, and to this day, the Indians call it "Dried-Beef-Pond."

No pursuit of the Indians was made. Colonel Evans says
that he was out of supplies. This is a curious reason. Either the
colonel was unreasonably fastidious in his diet or extremely shortsighted.
According to his own report he destroyed enough food to have lasted
him several weeks. The Indians fled in two directions. Some of them
surrendered at Fort Cobb, the others went west to join the Quohadi
on the eastern edge of the Staked Plains. Evans marched to the Washita,
whence he sent to Fort Cobb for supplies. On January 18 he arrived
back at Fort Bascom.

The Battle of Soldier Spring was a smaller affair than
the attack made by Custer on Black Kettle's village. Only about two
hundred soldiers, and perhaps an equal number of Indians (including
Kiowas) were engaged. It was singularly bloodless, considering its
duration and the amount of ammunition expended; the troops and the
Indians each lost but one man killed, with a few wounded on each side.

Yet the fight was not without significance. It was a
successful part of General Sheridan's plan to converge on the Indians
from several directions. It showed the hostiles that they were not
safe from the troops, no matter which way they might turn. It caused
the surrender of a number, including Mow-way, who might otherwise
have remained out and defied the government for several years. Nevertheless
it was so overshadowed by the Battle of the Washita, which occurred
three weeks before, that it has become lost in the annals of history,
and is mentioned in only one place-Sheridan's memoirs-and there only
briefly.